When his ship crash lands on Earth in Iron Age Norway, Kainan, a soldier from a distant planet, attempts to find the creature he was chasing so he can kill it once and for all. However, when a local tribe of Vikings believe Kainan to be responsible for a spat of recent killings, they capture him and hold him prisoner. In an attempt to gain their allegiance, Kainan tells Hrothgar, their king, Freya, his daughter, and Wulfric, their military leader, that he is from a distant island to the far North, and that the creature responsible for the killings is a Moorwen, a fire-breathing animal that is nearly indestructible. Slowly gaining their trust, Kainan convinces them to fight alongside him to destroy the creature and protect their village.

Despite the title, this movie has nothing to do with the wildly popular television series or the books it’s based upon. Originally conceived as an update to the Beowulf legend, Outlander is a surprisingly interesting sci-fi action movie that manages to include both futuristic technology and a period setting. It’s also not predictable to the point where the main hero is guaranteed to survive through the end of the movie. The acting itself is alright and the actors all seem to work well together. The story is also relatively simple to follow, and remains engaging.

The creature effects have held up surprisingly well over the years. There’s nothing too obvious that would date it. The background filler is also well done and not too obvious.

Fans of action movies should enjoy this, since the sci-fi elements aren’t too overwhelming. The story is interesting and, as stated before, it relatively easy to follow. It’s definitely worth the cost of a rental, especially if you’re a fan of the genre.

Outlander isn’t available free to stream anywhere at the moment, but it can be rented from Redbox or Netflix home delivery service, or purchased from a participating store or on-line retailer.